The third India-Russia Military Industrial Conference was held on the side-lines of DefExpo 2018 at Thiruvidanthai, Kancheepuram district on the East Coast Road near Chennai on April 13, 2018. The Indian delegation was led by Secretary (Defence Production) Dr Ajay Kumar while Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation Mr Oleg Ryazantcev led the Russian side. The Russian delegation comprised senior representatives of the Government and representatives of the leading Defence Industries. Around 75 Indian defence sector manufacturing companies and 28 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) from Russian industry participated in the conference.

Deliberations during the conference were aimed to focus on needs for improvement of after-sales support of Russian origin defence platforms being exploited by Indian defence forces and also to facilitate domestic manufacturing of some of the identified spare parts through collaborations between Indian vendors and Russian OEMs.

Towards the 'Make in India' initiative of the Government, seven Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the Indian Private Defence sector manufacturing companies and Russian OEMs for manufacture/ development of spares/ sub-assemblies/ assemblies of identified Russian origin platforms in use by the Indian Armed Forces in collaboration with the Russian OEMs.

In order to improve after sales support of Russian Origin Defence Equipment in use with the Indian Armed Forces and to promote indigenous manufacturing of certain identified components/ spares by Indian companies in collaboration with Russian OEMs, two rounds of India-Russia Military Industrial Conferences were held in past, first one in March 2017 in New Delhi and second one in August 2017 in Moscow.

Secretary (Defence Production) Dr Ajay Kumar addressing the 3rd Round of India-Russia Military Industrial Conference in DefExpo India 2018. Also seen in the picture is the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Russian Federation Mr Oleg Ryazantsev.